Archipelagos

Killer trees?

Astral Software's Archipelagos was developed in 1989 by (for me) a coding legend, Paul Carruthers (the man behind Resolution 101 and Quadralien). This is a surreal game that doesn't look, sound, or play like anything else, and still feels unique even today. You’re dropped into a strange, dreamlike world of floating islands, where your job is to smash eggs, topple an obelisk, and try not to get eaten alive by mutant trees.

Archipelagos is a first-person puzzler within hundreds of procedurally generated islands. Each map has egg-like stones and an obelisk. Smash all the stones, and you trigger a countdown, forcing you to leg it to the obelisk before the land collapses around you. To get there, harvest energy to build bridges and cleanse corrupted tiles, all while corkscrew trees creep closer, spreading their taint and making life miserable. It’s all about planning your route, staying one step ahead, and then surviving the panic of the endgame dash.

The islands were once part of a paradise world that pesky humans have probably ruined. So, Mother Nature hit back hard - mutating trees into some kind of twisted lifeform like something from an old 60s horror movie. This also left the land shattered into chunks, drifting in a toxic void. Yeah, this place sounds great, eh? Well, that’s where we come in as a "restorer" tasked with cleansing the islands by destroying corrupted stones(?) and toppling the obelisks that anchor the blight. Just don't get eaten by the monstrous wildlife.

This is one weird game - I mean, it's an FPS without a shotgun! However, it is uniquely different in terms of hypnotic aesthetics, most certainly unlike anything else I can remember playing. It's not easy, and occasionally cruel, but the mix of exploration and frantic strategy is exciting. So, smash those obelisks - only another ten thousand to go! This is one of the most captivating games you could play. And you should.

• There is a range of menu disks at Atari Legend for those wanting the floppies.
• The installable game for the hard drive is available at 8BitChip.
• Atarimania has access to a nifty cheat and loads of magazine ratings.

Alien Busters 4

What happened to the first three?

Back in 1996, Daniel Fielding released Alien Busters 4, a multiplayer shooter with one simple rule: kill your mates before they kill you. The action takes place in an arena where up to five players can jump in and shoot the living daylights out of each other. Hey, I remember the carnage of Death Chase, so this should be great!

Gameplay is simple: move your man with a joystick or keyboard, grab whatever weapons appear, and blast anything that moves until it explodes in a shower of blood and dismembered body parts. Pistols provide endless ammo, but the fun comes when you grab something better: machine guns, lasers, and rocket launchers. Even the scenery isn’t safe: trees get shredded, rockets blast rocks into smithereens, and barrels love triggering chain reactions. Rounds are fast and furious, and only end when every other player is brown bread.

While the game technically supports up to five players, you’ll probably need a parallel port adapter once you’ve got more than two joysticks already attached. I haven’t fully tested that, but just imagine the glorious chaos around an ST with a full party of eager shooters. If you’re a sad, lonely gamer, then simply hit keys 1-5 on the player select screen and your Atari ST will happily pretend to be your murderous mates.

Alien Busters 4 is all about gathering your friends around the computer for a riotous time. It’s a pixelated party full of guns, gore, and hilarious carnage - made even sweeter by the superb DMA samples on the STe. What an absolutely excellent multiplayer with chaotic, quick-fire, addictive carnage. I absolutely love it!

• Gather your mates and grab the download from Atarimania.
• Seeing as this game is enhanced, it gets instantly added to the STe gaming list.
• While you're here, check out another outstanding game by Daniel - Death Chase.
• If you enjoyed duelling against mates, then there are more here.

Have some of my rocket pie...

...Yeah, that little man didn't stand a chance!

Yep, it's always the same rule. Use real hardware for best results!!
Emulation won't be good enough. You'll see...